Book Review: The Surfacing

Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

Nail-biting sci-fi that’ll have you questioning if anyone is who they say they are.

Something’s going on beneath the surface of our world. And its presence threatens the existence of mankind as we know it. 

In Terrence Coffey’s The Surfacing, two small towns are experiencing some strange occurrences. People young and old are going missing, and some who remain are acting very strangely. When the ground opens up, it gives way to a new existence of beings looking for hosts to inhabit. Nearly anyone in their path is eligible to be chosen. 

The stakes are higher than ever. The ultimate solution hangs in the hands of the most unlikely people. Family members and friends begin to die or change their personality, leaving their loved ones grasping for answers. As the cracks rise to the surface, so do a whole host of other issues that no one on earth could have foreseen.

The Surfacing demands your attention with its truly mysterious and creepy nature. Hallucinations, strange new residents, and small shifts in the way their loved ones act are just the tip of the iceberg. Aside from the abnormal things happening, characters like 6-year-old Kaden are the true essence of creepiness. His presence, his evil nature, his overly relaxed responses—Kaden is going to spook you. When he asserts his authority as a bigger presence than just a 6 year old boy to his father, we’re clued in to how much of a twist this book is about to take. 

Kaden hates the human race and does everything he can to make sure they are eliminated. His race, the Orcans, could thrive to their full potential without humans. He’s capable of much more than you’d think the Kaden of the first chapter could do. Following his journey is definitely one of the most exciting plot lines of this book.

Kaden isn’t the only soul hiding out in the body of an unlikely human, but thankfully, they aren’t all on board with Kaden’s master plan. One of the biggest tests of reading this sci-fi mystery is deciphering who is a human and who is an Orcan. Handfuls of people in the town are experiencing a similar fate as Kaden’s human host, and their ability to stay hidden creates a unique dynamic to this story. I was constantly kept on my toes.

One of the book’s main characters, Clay, is trying to rebuild his relationships and refute his screwed-up reputation, but his natural tendency to mess things up is ever-present. He is the least likely candidate to turn things around in his own life, let alone play an important role in saving the planet, so it’s surprising he ends up being as important as he does. I didn’t love him as a character and didn’t see much growth in him, so I had some trouble attaching myself to his storyline. But in the end, The Surfacing accomplishes what it sets out to. It’s got a great mix of speculative fiction & mystery, and readers of both genres could come away satisfied.

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